Brassiere



. United States Patent Inventor Leonard A. Rosner Great Neck, N.Y. (c/o Glamorise Foundations, Inc.. 135 Madison Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016) Appl. No. 800,890

Filed Feb. 20, 1969 Patented Dec. 22, 1970 Primary Examiner-Adele M. Eager Attorney-Jerry B. Cesak ABSTRACT: A brassiere front section having a pair of breast cups and an elastic front panel stitched to and extending downwardly from the lower edges of the cups. Shoulder straps are connected to the top of the cups and a pair of nonelastic, straplike slings extend downwardly and obliquely across the front section in a mutually crossed relation from the shoulder strap connection of the cup on one side to supportably underlie the cup of the opposite side. An elastic band is secured to the inside of the lower edge portion of the front panel, in downwardly spaced relation from the cups and slings.

PATENTEU un22 ms R o T N E V m LEONARD A. ROSNER NW3 g BRASSIERE This invention relates to new and useful improvements in brassieres andin particular the invention concerns itself with an improved construction of the brassiere front section which embodies the breast cups and a front panel below the cups.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an improved front panel structure which is capable of affording proper support and uplift for the breasts by utilizing means for a transmission of suspension forces from the shoulder strap on one side to the underside of the breast cup on the opposite side of the brassiere. Such means are in the form of a pair of mutually crossed, nonelastic straplike slings which are associated with the breast cups in a novel manner so as to serve their primary purpose of supporting the cups, while at the same time permitting the garment to adjust itself within limits of a particular size to different physical characteristics of the wearer of that size, so that in each instance an effective supporting action with much better fit and comfort is possible than heretofore.

Another important feature of the invention in conjunction with the foregoing is the front panel below the cups, which panel is of elastic material and extends fully across the width of the front section so that the lower region of the garment constituted by the elastic front panel is fully capable of accommodating itself to the suspension forces acting through the cup-supporting slings under different conditions of self-adjustment of the garment, as already outlined.

In a like manner, another feature resides in providing an elastic band at the inside of the elastic front panel to assure proper fit of the lower edge portion of the front panel on the body and assist the front panel in shaping the torso below the breasts, the elastic band being spaced downwardly from the breast cups and slings so that its action is not adversely affected by the aforementioned suspension forces and different conditions of self-adjustment of the garment.

With the foregoing more important object and features in view and such other objects and features as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention will be understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters of reference are used to designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a frontperspective view of a-brassiere embodying the principles of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional detail viewed in the plane of one of the cups; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view showing the inside of the front section.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the brassiere in accordance with the invention is designated generally by the reference numeral and the invention concerns itself primarily with the front section 12 of the garment. The front section 12 is defined by and disposed between its side edges 13 where it is stitched to a pair of dorsal sections 14. of any conventional construction which need not be detailed here.

The front section 12 comprises a pair of breast cups 15 having the usual upper portions 150 and lower portions 15b, the tops of these cups having connected thereto the usual shoulder straps 16 in the conventional manner, the straps 16 being equipped with the usual buckles 17 for adjustment purposes, as will be readily apparent.

The front section 12 also includes a front panel 18 of elastic material, this panel extending across the full width of the front section and being elastically stretchable at least in the circumferential direction. The upper edge of the panel 18 is secured by stitching 19 to the lower edges of the lower breast cup portions 15b. A circumferentially stretchable elastic band 20 is stitched as at 21, 21 to the inside of the lower edge portion of the panel 18. This band also extends across the full width of the from section 12 and, if desired, may be continued along the dorsal sections 14 so as to encompass the entire lower edge of the garment. It is to be particularly noted that the the stitching 19 which secures the panel 18 to the lower edges of the breast cups.

A pair of nonelastic straplike slings 22 extend in mutually crossed relation across the front section 12, from the shoulder straps 16 at one side to the side edges 13 at the opposite side of the front section. These slings are made of relatively heavy, buckramlike fabric and are longitudinally tapered so that the upper end portion of each sling is relatively narrow while its lower end portion is relatively wide, as is best shown in FIG. 1.

The upper end of each sling 22 starts at the top of the upper portion 15a of one of the breast cups 15 where the shoulder strap 16 is connected to the cup, and the sling then extends downwardly along the inner edge of the upper cup portion, to which the lower edge of the sling is secured by the stitching 23, it being noted that the sling projects beyond the inner edge of the upper cup portion as is best shown in FIG. 3 and has a completely free upper edge 22. The sling then crosses over the other sling at the center of the front section and extends over to the opposite side where the relatively wide lower end portion of the sling supportably underlies the lower portion 15b of the cup 15 on that side, where the lower edge of the sling is secured by the stitching 19 which joins the panel 12 to the lower edges of the breast cups. The lower end of the sling is anchored by the usual stitching which secures the side edges 13 of the front section 12 to the dorsal sections 14.

It is to be particularly noted that the entire length of the upper edge 22' of each sling is free, and that the lower end portions of the slings which supportably underlie the breast cups may be flexed away as indicated by the dotted lines 220 in FIG. 2. The two crossed slings 22 provide for a transmission of suspension forces from the shoulder strap at each side to the underside of the breast cup at the opposite side of the garment, whereby proper support and uplift for the breasts is afforded.

The stitching 23 is preferably discontinued in the area where the two slings 22 cross each other, so that in this area the slings are detached from each other and are also detached from the breast cups. This arrangement permits a certain amount of relative movement at the point of crossing of the slings, so that the upper portions of the cups and the shoulder straps 16 may self-adjust laterally closer together or further apart within limits, to suit and properly fit narrow-shouldered or wide-shouldered wearers of the same size of garment.

Moreover, the detached slings tend to have a tightening action as the shoulder straps are adjusted, which causes the slings in the area where they cross to move in and between the breasts to give a separation which is highly desired.

Proper elastic support and slimming of the torso below the breast cups is attained by the elastic front panel 12 which extends across the entire width of the front section, and also by the elastic band 20 at the inside of the lower edge portion of the front panel. Inasmuch as the band 20 is spaced downwardly from the lower edges of the breast cups and from the slings 22, its action is not adversely affected by suspension forces in and self-adjustment of the slings, as already explained.

Although in the preferred embodiment of the invention the slings are made of nonelastic material as already stated, the slings may be elastic if so desired.

Moreover, while the principles of the invention have been illustrated in the embodiment of a bandeaux type brassiere, it is self-evident that they are equally applicable to longline brassieres, corselets, bra-slips, and the like.

I claim:

1. In a brassiere, a front section comprising a pair of breast cups with upper and lower cup portions, an elastic front panel extending across the full width of the front section and having its upper edge stitched to lower edges of the lower cup portions, a pair of shoulder straps connected to the top of the respective upper cup portions, and a pair of straplike slings extending from the points of connection of the respective shoulder straps to the respective cups downwardly and obliquely across the front section in mutually crossing relation and terminating at the respective opposite side edges of the front section,'each slingzhaving a completely free upper edge and having its l'oweredge stitched to-the upper cup portion on one side and to the lower cupportion on the opposite side of the front section-with thelower end portions of the respective slings supportably underlyingitherespeetive cups.

2. The garment as definedin claim 1 wherein said slings are formed fromnonelastic material.

3. The garment as defined in claim 1 together with an elastic band stitched to the inside of the lower edge portion of said front panel and extending transversely across the full width of 

